Southerland slams Democrats, salivating’ for election

Matthew Beaton // The News Herald

Monday

Sep 23, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 23, 2013 at 9:07 PM

PANAMA CITY — U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland served up red meat rhetoric to a group of Republicans on Monday night, ripping the Obama administration’s policies, saying Democratic leadership is “begging” for a government shutdown and adding he was “salivating” for the 2014 election fight.

PANAMA CITY — U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland served up red meat rhetoric to a group of Republicans on Monday night, ripping the Obama administration’s policies, saying Democratic leadership is “begging” for a government shutdown and adding he was “salivating” for the 2014 election fight.

The Panama City Republican made the remarks while speaking to the Bay County Republican Executive Committee.

“The president’s begging for a government shutdown. (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid is begging for government shutdown. (House Minority Leader) Nancy Pelosi is begging” for a shutdown, he said.

“I wouldn’t want to talk about these things either … so they are begging, praying, ‘Please, God, shut the government down.’ That’s the Democratic mantra,” he said.

The House last week past a continuing resolution to keep funding the federal government while defunding the new health care law, which revs up Oct. 1. Southerland voted for the House measure, while Democrats in the Senate have said they expect to bring to the Senate floor their own version of the legislation, minus any provisions related to the health care law. If the House and Senate can’t agree by the end of the month, most of the federal government would shut down.

Southerland’s comments followed a question about why Congress gets paid even when the government gets shut down. He said to “stay tuned” to Washington, and added: “When the tide goes out, we’re going to see everyone’s bathing suit.”

Southerland said President Barack Obama is “nervous” and “unraveling.” He told the audience if they wanted to see results of a progressive agenda they need look at Detroit.

Agreeing with another questioner, Southerland said bureaucrats are “clearly running the show” in Washington, noting the Founding Fathers did not intend for a powerful executive branch. He said thousands of rules and regulations in various federal departments are being promulgated without any oversight.

He said the Obama administration has enacted more than 200 major regulations — actions having an economic impact of more than $100 million — which is not good for the country. “Our threats are not the wolves at the door, but they’re the termites in the floor,” he said.

Southerland later added: “This president’s policies have hurt the middle class more than any president in recent memory.”

The congressman even spent time ripping the administration’s handling of endangered species. He said elks are disappearing because wolves were put on the endangered species list. He said wolves were recently taken off that list though.

“Now we got to address the wolves out west because they are killing machines. … The human attacks by the wolf is — they’re rampant out there,” he said.

Southerland repeatedly was asked about the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya. He said he is a co-sponsor on legislation that would create a select committee to investigate the attack. He said there’s “validity” for such action and the administration must be held accountable.

The congressman also alluded to the midterm election multiple times, but he didn’t specifically name the presumed Democratic frontrunner, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham’s daughter,Gwen Graham.

He said he had gone to Washington and “upset all the right people,” so that’s why Democrats put him on a top 10 target list for 2014. He said that’s a compliment.

“I represent a threat and a risk to everything they believe,” he said.

He said “we’ll be ready” when the Democrats come after him, noting his family has been in the district for 200 years and he has 10,000 cousins. He said some are estimating $8 million will be spent in the 2014 District 2 election, compared with $6 million in 2012.

“I can’t wait for this battle. I’m salivating for this battle because this battle’s about truth, and I’m ready to have this argument,” he said, closing out the talk to applause.

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